Chapter Thirty: Revived Memories

“Mother, Father, I’m off.”

“Be careful on your way!”

“Have a nice trip, Cedric. El, Fred, please take care of him.”

Elsa and Frederick nodded, before heading out with Cedric in tow. They were going to buy lunch at a nearby market. Cedric was really looking forward to his first trip out to town. At first, Cedric expressed his desire to come with me and Lord William. However, when Lord William asked him to run an errand, he was so excited.

After seeing him off through the gate, Lord William and I returned inside the house.

“Next time, let’s go out together. You, me, and Ceddie.”

“Of course.”

He smiled at me kindly, and I obediently nodded.

I thought I only dreamed of telling Lord William about my scar, but that turned out not to be the case. When I woke up, not only was I still wearing Lord William’s robe, my eyes were also a bit puffy.

Lord William would be working in the afternoon, so I’d let him take it easy in the morning.

“Ceddie has left. There’s something I’d like to tell you now. Let’s go to the living room.”

With that, I went to the living room with Lord William and sat next to him on the sofa. I was about to prepare a drink, but he said it was fine, so I sat back down.

He probably wanted to talk about the “other important reason” we were here, which I had missed last night.

“Sandra has been looking for you.”

“Lady Sandra?”

“That’s right.”

I looked up at Lord William in bewilderment.

Lord William’s expression was dead serious, and even a bit tense.

“The day Sandra came to our house, she vanished on her way back to the mansion of a nobleman who sheltered her. We haven’t heard from her since. Nevertheless, I discovered that it was Sandra who gave the order to kill you and Count Eighton, resulting in the scar on your body.”

I gasped and covered my mouth with both hands.

No way, I shook my head, but Lord William didn’t deny it.

“I wish I was lying, but it’s the truth. After Cedric was born, Sandra wanted to get rid of you and Count of Eighton. That way, both the fortune of the Allwyn family and the County of Eighton would be hers to take. But her plan failed, so she locked you in that room. Sandra has also been involved in many other crimes. We’re searching for her, but we can’t find any information on where she is hiding. Still, the fact remains that a woman is obsessed with you—she won’t stop until she can lay a hand on you.”

“Why… would she go that far…?”

I’d known since I was old enough to think that Sandra despised me to death, but I didn’t really understand why.

“…While I’m indeed the daughter of his ex-wife, it was Lady Sandra whom Father truly loved. She was more beautiful than me, more knowledgeable, better at socializing… I can’t think of a single reason why she would feel inferior to me…”

“I fully disagree with that statement. Sandra isn’t better than you. Nevertheless, she’s the daughter of a baron’s mistress. It’s probably her main source of complex—and also one of the reasons why she hated your mother. Your mother is a true aristocrat with the blood of an earl and a viscount. No matter what Sandra does, that will never change.”

Lord William gently drew my trembling self into his arms.

I looked up at him from within his embrace, wanting to listen until the end.

“—Hence, she intended to marry her daughter, who is of inferior blood like herself, to someone better than Liliana’s husband—someone better than me. Which isn’t an easy task. Either she finds another marquis, or aims for someone higher, a duke. However, there are no single men of marriageable age in the duke family at the moment. Among the marquis families out there, my family has the highest rank. That leaves only the Crown Prince and the Second Prince. But the latter is already engaged, so Al it is then.”

“…They don’t seem to get along well with Al.”

“It seems so.”

Lord William shrugged with a wry smile.

“Ms. Margaret’s marriage has been decided, and she got married about two weeks ago.”

“Really? What is her partner like?”

I couldn’t help but smile at the sudden happy news.

“He’s a famous painter. He’s a little older than me, but he comes from a very wealthy family, so you can rest assured.”

“Is that so? Will my sister be happy?”

“Of course.”

Lord William nodded with a smile.

“Elsa said that people become more mellow after they get married, so I hope the same goes for my sister… Of course, I’m angry at my sister for what she did to Cedric, but holding on to resentment and hatred will only make me feel worse, and won’t do me any good. It must’ve come as a great shock to my sister when she found out that she wasn’t related by blood with Father. She loved Father dearly. I think that was enough of a punishment for her.”

“…You’re so kind.”

A wide hand gently caressed my cheek.

“That’s not true. The truth is, I regret not slapping her at least once for the cruel things she did to you the other day.”

“…Really, how kind you are.”

Softly, his lips traced my eyelids. My cheeks suddenly heated up and I lowered my face. I felt Lord William chuckling above my head. He held me tenderly.

“Sandra is connected to a criminal organization called the Black Scorpion. That’s why I moved us here to keep you and Cedric safe. Of course, I also wish to give you a change of pace. But Sandra is relentlessly looking for you. I hope we can catch her—but if we can’t, I want you and Cedric to leave the royal capital and hide for a while.”

“…What about the Marquis’ mansion?”

“That is too obvious of a hiding place. I’d opt for a safer place.”

“…”

I didn’t want to be away from him. I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t afford to be selfish. Since Lord William had made a plan for me and Cedric, it would be best to just follow it.

I knew that, but my heart refused to accept it.

“I want you and Cedric to remain by my side, too. But I can’t, knowing that your lives will be at stake. It’s not right now, so please don’t look so sad.”

His hand tried to tilt my face so that I’d look up at him, but I resisted. I buried my face in Lord William’s chest. I nuzzled my cheek against it, inhaling the fresh scent of his cologne. Lord William gently stroked my hair, and I almost cried at his gentle touch.

“…Now that I think about it, I said we’d go on a picnic again, but so far, none. We haven’t even seen any play.”

Lord William said apologetically.

I raised my head a little, and his blue eyes were fixed on the painting hanging above the fireplace.

On my first day here, I tried to ask him about the painting. It must’ve slipped off my mind.

“Is this the painting of the flower field?”

“Yes.”

I sat down next to Lord William again and looked up at the painting hanging above the fireplace.

It depicted a lady sitting in the shade of a tree that grew beside the fountain, reading a book.

“I heard Al’s grandfather painted it when he was young. That woman was Al’s grandmother.”

“Really?”

The woman was looking down, so I couldn’t see her face, but she must’ve been gorgeous.

The painting was very tranquil, serene, and mesmerizing. I felt like it conveyed how much the previous king loved his wife.

“The first time I went to this flower field was when I was seven or eight years old. Al and I picked some flowers and brought them back to our mothers. I could remember how happy my mother was at the time. Then, a little later, I saw this painting at Al’s house. Someone told me that it was a perfect place to spend time with a lover. So, I decided that when I grew up, I would bring a lover or a wife here. Hence, I promised her… her?”

“Lord William?”

I turned to face him. His blue eyes were wide open as he stared at the painting.

Before I could say a word to Lord William, who had frozen, his lips trembled.

“…Ah, that’s right. I made a promise to Rosalind, but before I could fulfill it, I went to war.”

I gasped at the cold words he muttered.

I didn’t know the name of Lord William’s ex-fiancée, but I intuitively knew it was probably “Rosalind.” My hand, which was reaching out to him, stopped midway.

Lord William slowly turned to look at me, his blue eyes as icy as the winter.

“…Why, are you here… Ugh, uh—”

He didn’t finish the sentence, and suddenly started to clutch his head in pain. Lord William fell off the sofa, collapsing into the floor. I hurriedly knelt down beside him and reached out to his broad back.

“L-Lord William, what’s wrong?”

“M-my head, it hurts—…”

I could hear his teeth clattering as he collapsed into my lap. He curled up, hugging his head as if to protect it. His face was pale; sweat trickling down his forehead.

“W-what should I do… Lord William, Lord William!”

I probably shouldn’t shake him. So, I rubbed his back and called out to him repeatedly. But he continued to writhe in pain, groaning.

Elsa, whom I depended on, still showed no sign of returning, so I held back the tears and continued stroking his back.

All of the sudden, through the gaps in his arms, his wavering blue eyes found me.

They narrowed in suspicion.

“What are you… doing here?”

A hand reached out and grabbed my shoulder.

Staggering in pain, Lord William stood up. His gaze was the same cold, piercing one from our wedding night.

That cold gaze was the only one of Lord William that I knew before he lost his memory.

“Who… gave you permission to leave the mansion? The Knights—”

His blue eyes widened as he muttered in shock.

However, Lord William groaned briefly, gritting his teeth. He clutched his forehead tightly with his right hand. Realizing that he was enduring the pain, I held back from reaching out to him.

His head was still confused. At the same time, there was a chance that as a result of his resurging memories, he had forgotten what happened over the past few months.

Lord William had returned to the day he was training with the Knights on that rainy day.

Doctor Morgan had previously come up with that possibility.

My heart was about to burst from the pain, but I didn’t want him to hate me anymore. I bit my lip, suppressing the tears that threatened to overflow.

“No, ugh… Liliana…”

“…”

He embraced me with all his might, holding onto me for dear life until I couldn’t breathe.

“—No, I don’t want to forget you.”

His voice… It sounded as if he was about to cry at any moment, and I gasped.

His grip was so strong that my bones creaked, but I endured the pain. My tears fell onto Lord William’s shoulder.

“I never, ever want to forget your smile, the sweet smell of flowers, your soft voice—everything… And there’s something important I haven’t told you yet… Aah, ugh—”

Lord William began to suffer from a headache again. He clung to me, burying his face in my shoulder. Hearing his groan of pain, I instinctively wrapped my arms around him, hugging him back.

How I wished I could suffer in his stead, freeing him from the pain that was eating him away.

“Lord William—”

“HaaAAh, aAah, uuUUgh—“

He clung to me so tight, he ripped the back of my blouse, but I didn’t care. The huge body in my arms was tense and racked with pain. Cold sweat flowed down from his forehead to his neck. He groaned; his breathing irregular, which seemed to torment him even more.

Feeling that Lord William would die if this continued, I cried and tightened my grip around him.

“Please don’t die! Just forget about me. At this rate, you’ll break. Please forget about me, Lord William.”

I cried and begged, but Lord William shook his head like a child throwing a tantrum.

“I don’t want to forget… Ugh, aAAaah—”

In an instant, the arm that had left my back swept across the table, and the vase rolled somewhere, causing a loud clang. His arms returned to my back.

“Please forget. Lord William, you are only ruining yourself. You’re suffering so much—please, please forget about me…”

My tears fell into Lord William’s face.

“…I love you. Rather than see you suffer because of me, I don’t care if you never call me by my name again—if you never smile at me again. If it means you won’t be in pain any longer, then please… forget about me, who you never remembered in the first place…”

To prevent myself from crying, I forced a smile on my face.

Surely, your kind heart will suffer if you saw me cry.

So, I smiled as best as I could, thinking of you.

“No matter what happens, my love for you will never change, so please… forget about me.”

I felt like I was able to fake a laugh much better than before. But for some reason, Lord William looked about to cry as he smiled. Placing his hands around my neck, he drew me closer—

—then, something soft and fluffy touched me.

Not on my cheeks, forehead, or eyelids, but on my lips.

Realizing that he had kissed me, my cheeks instantly got hot and my heart started beating rapidly.

“…I promised you I wouldn’t forget, didn’t I?”

Lord William whispered, so close we were exchanging breaths. His blue eyes were pained, but he was looking at me with warm tenderness.

“I swore to you—to God and to the sword, didn’t I, My Liliana?”

“B-but…”

His cold hand stroked my cheek, his thumb wiping away my tears. Then, our lips overlapped again. The gentle kiss turned into soft biting.

“…It’s okay, the worst has passed… If you hold me for a while, I’ll be cured.”

He collapsed into my arms, murmuring weakly. I hugged Lord William gently, resting my cheek against his amber-colored hair.

“R-really? You won’t die?”

“…Haha, I won’t die from this.”

Lord William’s body was still trembling in pain as I held him, but his voice was clear. His breathing was also much calmer than before. Tears of relief overflowed from my eyes. Then, as I always did, I gently caressed his amber-colored hair. Softly, as if to soothe him.

“…Lord William, is there anything I can do for you? Are you in pain?”

“Don’t worry. This is the best part—a man’s dream.”

Lord William buried his face in my chest, laughing happily despite his pale complexion.

“Aah, living the commoner’s life sure is nice. You don’t have to wear a corset.”

“Eh? …Right, sure. I usually keep it loose, but it’s easier for me without it.”

Lord William embraced me tightly, pressing his head against me. I was happy to see how spoiled he was, so I gently hugged his head and pressed my cheek against him.

“…I’m glad.”

Lord William looked up at my heartfelt words and shut his mouth again.

Slowly, we drew away, and Lord William tried to smile. All of the sudden, he furrowed his eyebrows, stiffening for a moment, holding his breath. His grip around me tightened once again. After enduring it for a few seconds, he let out a slow, thin breath and relaxed. The pain might have come in waves.

“A-are you okay?”

Lord William nodded, but his hands were starting to tremble again.

I knew that I should call Professor Morgan as soon as possible, but unfortunately, we weren’t at the Marquis’ mansion. We were alone right now, and I couldn’t afford to leave his side.

I wished that someone—Mario, or even Al, would come and play.

“—Huh? What’s wrong with the Marquis?”

I looked up at the sudden voice, wondering if my prayer had been answered, and my face lit up briefly.

“Your Grace!”

The duke stood in the garden.

“William, are you unwell?”

The duke tilted his head in surprise as he climbed onto the deck and came over to me. Lord William stood up and looked back.

A man appeared from behind the duke, and my smile froze.

“Liliana! Behind you!”

Lord William stood up, reaching for the sword he had hidden under the sofa cushion. Then, kneeling on one knee, he shielded me with his back. I obediently followed his words, wanting to at least not get in the way, and hid behind him to see what was going on.

The backlight made it impossible to see the expressions on either the duke or the man’s faces, but judging from his stature, it couldn’t be James. The man who stood a little behind the duke was a stranger.

He, like Lord William, had an impressive physique and a sword hanging from his waist.

“Who are you?”

Lord William asked in a low, intimidating voice I’d never heard before.

“I don’t have a grand enough name to be introduced to a marquis.”

The man chuckled, tilting his head. His flaxen hair fell lightly over his forehead. Probably, from the voice and tone, it was the same man who had spoken to me back then.

“I have to call you by something.”

“Then, for the sake of convenience, please call me Yan, Lord Springfield. That being said, please sleep for a while.”

The man, Yan, withdrew a step, and a gentle breeze blew through. A sweet smell brushed against the tip of my nose.

“Liliana, hold your breath!”

I nodded, but for some reason, I was overcome by a terrible feeling of drowsiness. I fell face down on Lord William’s back.

“Damn it!”

I somehow realized that Lord William had thrown the sofa table at the men. I collapsed to the floor, and in my daze, I tried to grasp the situation, but my mind failed me. The sweet smell grew stronger in proportion.

“Liliana…!”

I felt as if I was being held by some strong force, but my consciousness was soon cut off.

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